GINGE - Bummer (EP) + 10 Questions

Rising Dutch singer-songwriter GINGE has unveiled her new EP ‘Bummer’, including the featured single ‘Take My Picture’. It is out now via Gillionaires.

Leeuwarden-born GINGE blends R&B and pop with a contemporary twist. With her sea of beautiful red hair and a mesmerising vocal ability, GINGE is making her mark as an emerging artist with a rapidly growing following to match. She’s already amassed 7 million streams across her catalogue and boasts over 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners, with GINGE inspired to help others feel empowered when listening to her music.

Having released her debut EP ‘Belly’ in 2021, GINGE’s follow-up project ‘Bummer’ is a tongue-in-cheek take on how she copes with negativity. Through its 7 tracks (produced by Lake Woozoo) ‘Bummer’ has a playful yet sultry sound, and focuses on the good times to help party GINGE’s troubles away. From the care-free essence of ‘Hedonism’ and ‘Get It Right’, the EP shows its darker side on ‘2nd Floor’, while ‘Jewel In The Night’ embraces the ups and downs of a night out. There’s also a new featured single ‘Take My Picture’ which is all about making everlasting memories, and capturing those special moments made on the dancefloor.

GINGE sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

I think I always had a soft spot for reliving stories and memories. That started with a dream of becoming an actress when I was young. Growing older, I got more acquainted with music and my love for neo-soul and RnB. I love the way music creates this space for (re)connecting with a feeling, memory, or dream. A good love song can feel like the same vibe as talking about someone you’ve got a crush on with your friends and never getting sick of it. When you put it like that, music can really be the friend that brings you comfort and joy.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

My inspiration draws from a lot of women from the UK like Joy Crookes, Mahalia and Jorja Smith. I like the way they create this sort of sharp delicacy. I guess it’s a combination of opposites that always attract me. For instance, the way Rihanna sings ‘Love On The Brain’ is so powerful, like there’s so much strength in her voice while lyrically she sings about this love that’s taking over her which she’s totally subject to. It’s that combo which makes the song so passionate and powerful. Right now, it’d be a dream to work with Remi Wolf or just be with her in a studio to see how she creates. The way she completely goes beyond the boundaries of genres and creates her own lane is so cool and I’d love to see her process of writing lyrics.

3. What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?

Right now, I just released my second EP ‘Bummer’. It contains seven different songs with different feelings and sounds. I got into a new sound with it, it’s way catchier and more pop-py than my first EP but still has influences of soul and jazz. After enjoying the release of Bummer for a while, I would love to start creating freely again and see what sounds attracts me right now. My dream is to create an album in the coming years, but it has to really feel like me, which is why I don’t want to pressure myself to push it right away.

4. How would you describe your sound?

I don’t like to tie myself to any specific genre. I’d rather see my musical taste as a pinball machine, in which I am the pinball bouncing between these corners of neo-soul, RnB, pop and jazz. Who knows if I add some other genres in the future or if I’m suddenly done with RnB. I can’t imagine that right now, but I think it’s stupid to glue yourself in a corner where you should stay, just because you started out there. It’s much more fun to see music as a playground in which you maybe want to try a different slide than your usual one day.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

That’s a tough question really! I think I’m most proud of how I started out in 2017. I didn’t know anything about the industry or even about songwriting. My now managers Gilian and Robeleh found a cover I posted online and asked me if I ever wrote my own lyrics. After that I simply just tried. They connected me to the producers I started working with and I felt so shy and challenged to try it all. But the thing is, I did try. I never thought I would be able to write songs good enough for other people to enjoy, let alone write as much as I do now and performing those songs on stages. I guess I take most pride in trying things out even though I felt like I couldn’t do it. There’s this quote from Pippi Longstocking that goes: “I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that.” It’s a really good one.

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

Take inspiration out of that quote! And just be open and ask. In the beginning it really helped me to talk to other people who just started out, just to have a feeling like you’re not alone. Instagram is a useful tool in making your way into your local community which helps to feel you’re not alone in figuring all the hard stuff out. It also took me quite a while to stop with the comparison game (which is still tough). In a business that is still male-dominated and quite hard to break through, it’s easy to think ‘why them and not me?’. Still, success is a zero sum game and someone else’s victory doesn’t equal to your loss.

7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

On gloomy mornings I recommend listening to FENNE, she makes such beautiful jazzy songs. Getting ready for a night out, I like to play the new EP by FLO. On sunny days I’d definitely play some Neema Nekasa. And for an evening alone and enjoying your own company with a glass of wine and some candles, I love the last album by Ari Lennox.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

Next to those last ones, I currently love ‘Sahar’ by Tamino, ‘YESSIE’ by Jessie Reyez, ‘MOTOMAMI’ by Rosalia. Artists I always seem to come back to are SiR, Erykah Badu, RIMON, Amy Winehouse, Yebba, Luck Daye…(well I mean I can go on, but this can already be a whole playlist).

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

I love to go treasure hunting in vintage clothing shops and going out. I also just love to daydream or write random lyrics without any music playing when I’m traveling. My favourite days are the ones I spend talking nonsense with my friends and just seeing where the sun takes us.

10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?

First is definitely my notebook and pen, and second my phone. I love writing songs by hand way more than typing because you can see the whole process of writing it and get back to words or sentences you initially maybe crossed out. But when I don’t have a notebook closeby, I write on my notes app and those are nice to scroll through during sessions. For third place, I think something to drink and snack on. I like those little snack carrots a lot, I don’t know why but, in a way, chewing on them helps me stay focused and feel fresh at the same time. Lately I’ve been bringing cosy slippers or socks to the studio more and more to really get comfortable, they would be my 4th choice.